MAT 2018 Exam Pattern

Gaurav Macwan

Feb 8, 2018 15:27 IST

MAT 2018 Exam Pattern

MAT 2018 is a very important MBA entrance test for the MBA aspirants. The test is conducted in both paper-based as well as computer-based online mode. MBA aspirants can take up the test four times in a calendar year i.e. February, May, September and December months. Being a popular MBA entrance test, it is very important for the candidates taking up the test to understand the MAT exam pattern in detail. In-depth understanding of the MAT MBA entrance test exam pattern would give them an edge over others, when it comes to cracking the exam. For the benefit of the candidates, we have provided a detailed analysis of the MAT exam pattern in the article given below:

MAT Exam Structure

MAT is an MBA entrance test and like all major B-school admission tests, this exam also features MCQs / Multiple Choice Questions. However, what makes it different from other B-school entrance tests is that it can be taken up in both, paper-based as well as online or computer-based test formats. A brief overview of MAT exam pattern is given in the table below:

Exam Pattern Component

Detail

Format of Question

Multiple Choice Questions / MCQs (4 options)

Number of Questions

200

Test Duration

150 minutes

Mark per question

1 mark / question

Negative marking

Yes / 0.25 for each wrong answer

No of Sections

5

Mode of MAT 2018 Exam

MAT is one the few popular MBA entrance tests that is still conducted in both online as well as offline format. AIMA / All India Management Association focused more upon the knowledge of the candidate, rather than their ability to solve problems on a computer alone. Therefore, they have made the MAT MBA test available to candidates in both paper-based / offline mode as well as computer-based online mode. The computer-based test is very straight forward with candidates having to select the right option for the MCQs. On the other hand, for offline mode, the MCQ format test is conducted through OMR / Optical Mark Recognition sheet. Candidates have to use pencil to mark the right answers on the OMR sheet.

MAT MBA Test Duration

One of the things that makes MAT MBA test quite tough for aspirants is the short time duration. The MAT MBA exam is of two hours and thirty minutes or 150 minutes in total. During this time-frame, candidates have to answer a total of 200 questions spread across five different sections. However, unlike a few other management entrance tests, MAT doesn’t have any specific sectional time-limit assigned to it. However, with give sections to cover in 2:30 hours, ideally, a candidate should not spend more than 30 minutes on any section.

MAT Exam - Section-wise Breakup

As stated above, the MAT 2018 MBA entrance test consists of 200 questions which are asked from five different sections. These five sections include the following:

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning: This section tests the logical reasoning ability of the candidates. Questions in this section generally cover topics such as Series and Sequences, Input/Output analysis, Direction Sense, Data Arrangement, Coding and Decoding. , Blood Relations and Critical Reasoning.

Language Comprehension: Aimed at testing the comprehension and reading ability of the candidate, the Language comprehension section is a tough nut to crack in MAT. Questions from the LC section are generally detailed and require good grasp of language and comprehension skills.

Data Analysis & Sufficiency: As the name suggests, this section deals with data analysis tests the analytical thinking and critical thinking skills of the candidates. Candidates can expect question from topics such as Input/Output Analysis, Decoding, Blood Relations, Data Arrangements, Direction Sense and others.

Mathematical Skills: One of the toughest sections in MAT MBA exam, the Mathematical skills deals with the basics or elementary level math. Questions in this section would be centred around business Mathematics, basic Arithmetic and Geometry. Candidates would need to know basic formulae and elementary Math concepts in order to crack this section.

Indian and Global Environment: This is the section that is heavily dependent upon candidate’s knowledge of current affairs and general know-how of what is happening around us. Questions here would be based upon important economic, business, finance and political events happening around us.

For the better understanding of the different sections and their importance in the MAT exam pattern, please refer to the table given below:

Section

No of Questions

Ideal Time for Section

Language Comprehension

40

30 minutes

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning

40

30 minutes

Data Analysis and Sufficiency

40

35 minutes

Mathematical Skills

40

40 minutes

Indian and Global Environment

40

15 minutes

MAT 2018 - Marking Scheme

MAT 2018 exam pattern also gives us a detailed overview of the MAT exam marking scheme. Each of the 200 questions that are part of the MAT question paper carries 1 march each, thereby taking the total marks for the exam to 200. However, MAT exam also has negative marking of &frac14; or 0.25 for each negative answer. Although each question in MAT exam carries only 1 mark, the overall score is often scaled up to / out of 800.